What is the title of your latest release?
TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A forty-year-old wife and mom wakes up from a freak pickleball accident with the chance to relive her twenties - single this time, out of order, and on her own terms.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I love setting books in Southern California, where I live, but I also wanted Sutton to travel the world and chase big adventures. I chose a mix of places I’ve loved in real life, along with experiences still lingering on my own bucket list.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! Much of Sutton was inspired by one of my best friends, so I loved her immediately. She’s also an amalgamation of so many millennial women I know and adore.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Loyal, honest, self-deprecating.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned that we all have alternate lives we could have lived—based on one tiny decision or several major ones. But ultimately, the life we choose is unrivaled, the best, the home we’d always return to.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I personally have to eject the first draft from my body as fast possible, so I don’t lose the magic. This usually takes me three to four months, then I go back and edit my heart out.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Molten chocolate anything.
Describe your writing space/office!
My office is my favorite room in our house. It reflects both my personality and my ideal creative mood: creamy neutrals, pops of color, a leopard rug, a solid desk, a cozy chair, and a wow chandelier. Usually several stray coffee cups, plenty of snacks, and always a candle. It’s aesthetic but real.
Who is an author you admire?
I admire Sophie Cousens for how seamlessly she balances women’s fiction with romance—and for her willingness to go big with wild ideas, then pull them off brilliantly.
Is there a book that changed your life?
JANE EYRE, in high school. I’ll never be over the wife in the attic! Plus, the themes of love, independence, and self-discovery. It’s a classic that flipped a storytelling switch inside me forever.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I self-published my first two books (WHEN WE BLINKED and SUING CINDERELLA), which was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. They’re both re-releasing with Tyndale House Publishers in the next year, and I’m over the moon about it!
After I received my first offer of representation for TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE (my third book) from another agent, my now-agent Danielle Egan-Miller rushed to read the manuscript. I assumed she and the other agents would politely bow out, but no. I ended up with multiple offers. It was surreal. Danielle stood out for endless reasons, including her editorial brilliance, deep fiction experience, and the glowing way her clients spoke about her. Signing with her changed my life. Finding the right agent is unspeakably valuable in this complex industry.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Thriller - rinse and repeat!
What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a Wonderful Life
What is your favorite season?
Fall. School supplies, football, and pumpkin everything!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Brunch with my girlfriends and date night with my husband is pretty much the dream.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I really loved TWICE by Mitch Albom. My book club read it in January, and I still think about it. I also buddy-read it with my husband, mom, and dad, which made it extra special. I think we all cried!
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Niche answer, but anything from the Hillstone Restaurant Group. Gulfstream, Bandera, R+D Kitchen - they can do no wrong! Their consistency, quality, and service are a whole character study. I also worked at Houston's while earning my master’s degree in professional writing, so it holds a special place in my heart.
What do you do when you have free time?
I’m a big recreational runner. I’ve run four marathons and five half marathons, and I’m currently training to qualify for the Boston Marathon. It’s one of my major life goals.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m dying to write a Christmas book, and I hope it’s in the cards sooner than later!
Narrator: Christine Lakin
On the eve of her fortieth birthday, a woman wakes up from a pickleball accident with the unexpected chance to relive her twenties in this sparkling novel from a fresh, new voice.
Sutton Layne is almost—forty and fabulous, with a happy marriage, three beautiful children, and a successful interior design business. But there’s plenty of chaos behind the scenes of early midlife. Her preteen son is going off the rails, her husband is bailing on the party he was supposed to throw her, and that thriving business? If she can’t land her next big client, it might all come crashing down. Then a surprise DM from someone in her past sends her spiraling into what—ifs. What if she settled down too young? Walked away from her big break? Never had her great adventure?
Despite her simmering mini—crisis, Sutton can’t wait for the birthday luncheon and pickleball tournament her friends have planned in her honor. But when an accident on the court knocks her out cold, she wakes up somewhere else . . . and is offered the chance to do it all over again. She can revisit her twenties—out of order and on her own terms. And this time around, anything goes: cities, careers, friendships. Even love.
From star—studded Hollywood nights to the jungles of Nicaragua, from the heat of Coachella to the snowy summit of the Matterhorn, Sutton chases the life she fears she might have missed, with unexpected results.
With a wink to the classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Twenty Something Else is a witty, wistful journey through the dreams we outgrow, the life choices that shape us, and the surprising detours that can lead us home.
- Clean and wholesome women’s fiction with themes of second chances, identity, friendship, and love
- Perfect for fans of Katherine Center, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Courtney Walsh
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Fantasy Magical Realism | Romance [ Tyndale House Publishers, On Sale: June 9, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9798400514517 / eISBN: 9798400514531 ]
Stephanie Mack is an author with a passion for storytelling—on the page, on the mic, and beyond. Her novels blend women's fiction and romantic elements with meaningful insights for readers navigating the complexities of modern life. Stephanie lives in Orange County, California, with her husband, three daughters, and beloved mini Bernedoodle.
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